Apple's next retina display could be a TV

One industry expert says Apple's pixel-count focus is a sign of screens to come

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With every Apple device getting Retina Display upgrades, it's high time that the company brings 200+ pixel-per-inch resolution to the biggest screen in the home, says Raymond Soneira of DisplayMate Technologies.

Presumably following in the footsteps of the iPhone 4S, the latest iPad, and the new MacBook Pro, the Apple retina television (not to be confused with the media porting device, Apple TV) would bring another piece of high-fidelity consistency to Apple's hardware line-up.

Talking to CNET, Soneira said, ""My... theory is that color consistency and accuracy among all Apple devices is more important for Apple than Retina Display resolution and will be the strategic basis for the eventual launch of an Apple Television,"

Price enhancements

An Apple Retina Display television set would fall squarely into the category of luxury electronics.

Bringing 2880x1800 resolution to the MacBook Pro (15.4-inch screen) costs $2800, or around $1000 more than a merely high-definition version. For a screen three or four times that size, the cost could be staggering.

Also take into account that because Apple TV currently outputs an image at up to 1080p, the new television would either need to be paired with a new Apple TV box or have that functionality built-in.

Soneira believes the price will be right for users who long for visual consistency across devices, which now see an apparent downgrade when viewing streamed photos and movies on Apple TV.

More and more, Apple is taking control of high-end living room entertainment devices, and an Apple-made television would cement the company's stake in owning that consumer space. Maybe the American tech company will have an early counter to Korea's work on a flexible 60-inch OLED television set for a 2017 release.